UEFA clears Russia’s Grozny to hold official matches

UEFA clears Russia’s Grozny to hold official matches
# 19 June 2020 02:54 (UTC +04:00)

The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) has decided to extend the right to hold UEFA matches to Grozny’s Akhmat Arena, Secretary General of the Russian Football Union Alexander Alayev told an online press conference, APA reports citing TASS.

UEFA imposed a ban on holding its matches in Russia’s North Caucasus regions in 2013 due to security concerns.

"The UEFA Executive Committee headed by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin ruled that Grozny can host UEFA matches, extending the organization’s license to [Grozny’s] Akhmat Arena. The region deserves it. National teams could also play at the stadium," Alayev noted.

Akhmat Arena was unveiled in 2011, FC Akhmat Grozny playing in the Russian Premier League uses it as its home stadium. The stadium also hosted the 2013 Russian Cup final. In 2018, the Egyptian national team trained at the stadium when Russia welcomed the FIFA World Cup.

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED